Pressure responsive cover for containers



Sept. 29, 1953 J, RlcHTER 2,653,729

PRESSURE RESPONSIVE COVER FOR CONTAINERS Filed June 19. 1951 INVENTOR.Jugeph Rich er* i fw MEW ATTORNE YS Patented Sept. 29, 1953 PRESSURERESPONSIVE COVER FOR CONTAINERS Joseph Richter, Farlawn, N. J.,Yatssi'gnor ,"to "the United States of America as 'represented by 'theSecretary of the Army Application June 19, 1951, Serial No. 232,437

(o1. le20-:44)

(Granted under Title 35, U. VS. Code (1952),

vvsec. 266i Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government lfor governmental purposes without the payment of anyroyalty thereon.

The present invention relates to a novel sealing means for pressurecontainers wherein the component elements of the sealing means oi'closure cooperate to act as a pressure release or safety valve when thepressure in the container exceeds a predetermined amount.

While my invention isdisclosed as providing `a closure and pressurerelief valve for a powder container it is to be understood that theinventon is capable of use, for example, in a conduit carrying nuidunder pressure, and in vrany tank, vat or container requiring the use'of a closure which is fluid tight below a predetermined pressure butwhich will be forced open to act as a safety valve to relieve thepressure when the predetermined pressure is exceeded.

An object of my invention is to provide a sealing and closure device forpressure containers which insures a tight pressure t, is easily appliedto a container in closing and sealing position thereon, and which iscapable of being released or sprung by a force which is diiferentfrf'i'm. and opposite to the closing force originally apfplied, toeffect opening of the sealing means.

Another object of my invention is the design of a cover for a containerwhich is tightened in l place by a force outside the container` butwhich may be acted upon by a different4 force, viz pressure within thecontainer, to release the cover and dissipate the original force whichtightened the cover in place. c

A further object of my invention is to provide a simple design for acombination safety relief valve and closure for pressure containerswhich embodies a combination gasket and flexible diaphragm sealed uponthe container in response to an outside force applied to a handle andscrew and acting through the medium of detent balls, a split taperedring and tapered retainer all arranged in a novel manner to maintain thecover in place to provide an hermetic seal, 'the same elementscooperating to dissipate the force applied, to force open the cover inresponse to excess pressure developed in the container.

With the foregoing general objects inview, as well as other morespeciiic objects and results which will appear from a reading of thefollowing specification, my invention consists in a certain novelconstruction and arrangement of elements more fully and particularlyreferred to and speci-- fied hereinafter.

Referring to 'the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the combination closure and safety valvemounted in operative relation upon a 'container or pressure containingenclosure.

Figure 2 isa section to an enlarged scale taken on line 52--2 of Figure1.

Figure 3 `is a section taken on line 33--3 yd'5 Figure "2, showing thearrangement of screw, detent balls, and other retaining means.

The principles and several lfeatures of my 'invention can bemechanically 'expressed in 'a vae riety of other forms and embodiments,and `'my invention contemplates 'and includes all such other expressionsthereof within its broad scope.

In the illustrated example my invention includes a container 5 to whichlugs 6 have been spot welded or xed in any convenient manner, to receivea spider 'I which is held in place in a manner to be hereinafterdescribed. The spider 'l is provided with a central boss 8 having avertical internally threaded bore 9 to receive a screw I0 which 'isprovided with a handle I I to be manually grasped when an outside forceis applied to the cover. The lower end of the screw is beveled as at I2to provide a reduced portion for receiving detent balls I3 for a purposeto be later described. Disposed below the spider is a steppedcylindrical retainer I4 shaped to form a shallow T in vertical crosssection. Retainer I4 has a vertical bore I5 of diameter approximatelyequal to and in axial alignment with bore 9 in vspider 1. Screw I0extends into bore I5 and is axially slidable relative to retainer I4vwhen the screw handle is turned either clockwise or counterclockwise inactuating the sealing means. Two diametrically opposed radial bores IvIi are formed in vthe upright section of T-shaped retainer I4, toreceive the major portion of detent ballsI3, the remaining portion ofthe detent balls fitting into the space defined by the reduced sectionof screw III `to lock 'retainer I4 with respect to screw I0 and vpreventrelative axial movement therebetween when the balls are confined totheposition shown upon Figure 2.

'Concentrically disposed about ythe upright section of retainer III andin radial alignment with the radial bores 'formed therein is arranged atapered split ring fI'I which serves to contain each detent ball withinits bore I6 and in contact with the beveled portion of yscrew I0, thesplit ring in turn being maintained in this locked position by virtue ofa tapered collar or slide I8 which is slida'ble relative to the outersurface of tapered split ring I1, and which in 'closureelocking posi'-tion fits about the split ring and prevents it from opening, to therebyprevent outward movement of the detent balls within their radial bores.

The closure per se of the sealing device is dishshaped in configurationand comprises a cover I9 of sheet metal which is removed from andconcentric with collar IB. Cover I 9 is a generally frusto-conical dischaving its peripheral edge turned reversely as at toward the apex andits rim again turned through 180 to form an inverted U having a shortleg 2I engaging the rim defining an opening in the container, as clearlyshown in Figure 2. The apex of the frustoconical cover I9 is fixed tothe fiat under surface of the horizontal portion of retainer I4 as at 22in any convenient manner so that the retainer and cover are actuable asa unitary structure. A combination gasket and flexible diaphragm isincorporated in the closure to insure an hermetic seal with thecontainer as at 23 and comprises a flexible diaphragm 24 contoured tofollow the curved portion of cover I9, the central extension of thediaphragm forming a base of the :frustoconical section encompassed bycover I9. A perforated metallic baille 25 is xedly secured to theflexible diaphragm substantially coextensive with that portion of thediaphragm forming the base of the frusto-conical cover I9.

The base of tapered collar I8 is turned outwardly to form a fiange 26which is crimped as at 2'I to provide a recess for receiving one end oia compression spring 28, the other end of spring 28 being received bythe under surface of retainer I4 within the area included by the upperbase of frusto-conical disc I9. Flange 26 of collar I8 is in contactwith and urged against diaphragm 24 so that pressure exerted against thefiexible diaphragm from within the container will move the diaphragm andbaffle upwardly to cause collar I8 to slide upwardly relative to taperedsplit ring il.

The device operates in the following manner. Spring 23 is biased toexert a force between retainer I4 and collar I8 to maintain the parts inoperative relation. So also, spider 'I is maintained in force contactwith lugs I. The extremities of spider 'l are applied to the lugsdistributed about the periphery of the container or opening and theshort legr of the U forming the extremity of cover I9 is set to engagethe rim of the container opening. Although screw Iii is retracted sothat a portion of the detent balls are disposed within the lowerextremity of the recess formed by the beveled portion of screw I0, thecompression spring exerts sufficient force to retain the spider withinthe lugs and the remaining elements in locked and operative relation. Inthis position the ring I'I is not fully closed and the force applied isinsufficient to provide a seal at 2". The handle of screw I0 is thenturned clockwise and the bevel on the screw applies radially outwardforces to the detent balls. Since the balls are held against movement atthis time by ring I'I and collar I8, the force is transmitted toretainer Ill and cover i9 to seal the container at 23. The compressionin spring 28 serves to bias collar I?. downwardly relatively7 to coveri9 to thus force the collar against the tapered split ring I'|' so thatthe detent balls are in position to prevent relative axial movementbetween retainer I4 and screw I9, as previously explained.

The closure will remain in hermetically sealed position until pressurein the container becomes greater than the set pressure which can readilybe determined by a calibration of the spring and associated parts. Whenthe maximum set pressure within the container is exceeded, the forceexerted by spring 28 is overcome and the diaphragm and perforated baflleare displaced upwardly to force collar I8 upwardly thereby leaving a gapbetween the collar and tapered split ring I8, as a result of which splitring I7 separates sufficiently to permit detent ball I3 to moveoutwardly to clear the smooth surface of screw I0 so that retainer I4 isfree to move upwardly relative to screw I0. Cover I9 which is secured toretainer I4 also moves upwardly thereby destroying the seal at 23 anddissipating the excess pressure within the container.

What I claim for my invention is:

l. A combination pressure relief valve and sealing means for a containerhaving an opening comprising, diametrically opposed lugs on saidcontainer about said opening, a spider engaging said lugs for removablysupporting said sealing means in said opening, said spider having acentrally disposed internally threaded bore, a dish-shaped sealingmember on said sealing means for sealing engagement with the rim of saidopening, a screw threaded into said bore actuable to engage said sealingmeans for applying a force to said sealing member to move said memberinto sealing engagement with the rim of said opening, detent meansconcentric with and coacting with said screw to lock said sealing memberin sealed position, and means secured to said sealing member movable inresponse to an increase in pressure in said container to release saiddetent means whereby said sealing member is released to move upwardly todissipate the pressure in said container.

2. A combination pressure relief valve and sealing means for a containerhaving an opening comprising, diametricaily opposed lugs mounted on saidcontainer about said opening, a spider engaging said lugs for removablysupporting said sealing means in said opening, said spider having acentral internally threaded bore, a screw in said bore having a taperedend extending below said spider and having a handle secured to its upperend adapted to be turned to apply a sealing force to said sealing means,a sleeve concentric about the tapered end of said screw and slidablerelative thereto, said sleeve having an upper radially elongated fiange,a lower radially shorter flange and a pair of diametrically opposedradial slots adjacent said lower flange, said sealing means comprising afrusto-conical dish-shaped member adapted to peripherally engage saidcontainer about said opening and having a central aperture toperipherally engage the lower side of said upper flange, a gasketedresilient diaphragm partly secured to the under side of said dish-shapedmember and forming with the frustoconical portion of said sleeve andsaid upper fiange a frusto-conical space, a pair of detent ballsreceived in said radial slots movable from a first inward position toabut the taper of said screw to lock said sleeve against sliding, to anoutward position to release said sleeve for upward sliding movement, asplit ring concentrically disposed about said detent balls and lying onsaid lower flange adapted to yieldingly retain said balls in abuttingengagement with the taper of said screw, a frusto-conical collar havingits upper end slidable engaging said split ring and its lower end turnedradially outwardly and secured to the upper surface of said resilientdiaphragm, and a helical spring concentric about said collar having itsupper end abutting said upper flange and its lower end abutting theradially outwardly turned end of said collar, whereby a rise in pressurein said container above a predetermined amount urges said resilientdiaphragm and said collar upwardly against the bias of said spring topermit expansion of said split ring to thereby release said balls foroutward movementl `and said sleeve and sealing means for upward movementto dissipate the pressure in said container.

3. A gasketed cover for sealing the opening of a pressure containercomprising, lugs secured to the wall of said container, a spiderengaging said lugs and removably supporting said cover in said opening,said spider having a centrally disposed internally threaded verticalbore, a screw threaded in said bore for applying an external force tosaid cover to effect a seal between said cover and said container,detent means intermediate said cover and said screw to lock said coverin sealed position, and means secured to said cover to unlock saiddetent means in response to an internal force opposed to the originallyapplied sealing force to unseal said cover and dissipate said internalforce.

4. A gasketed cover for sealing the opening of a pressure containercomprising, lugs secured to the wall of said container, a spiderengaging said lugs, said spider having a centrally disposed verticalbore, a handle screw threaded into said bore and extending downwardlybeyond said spider, a cylindrical member concentric about said screw andslidable axially relatively thereto, detent means intermediate saidcylindrical member and said screw for locking said cylindrical memberagainst axial movement, means secured to said cover adapted to engagesaid cylindrical member whereby an external force applied to said screwhandle is transmitted to said cover to seal the same to said container,and slide means secured to said cover and operable in response to aninternal force on said cover opposed to said original force to unlocksaid detent means and release said cylindrical member and cover forupward movement to break the seal and dissipate said internal force.

5. In combination, a pressure container having an open end and acombined closure device and pressure relief valve for unitary mountingin and removal from said container and comprising, a sealing member forperipheral engagement with said opening, first means mounted on saidcontainer about said opening, means engaging said first means forsupporting said sealing member in juxtaposition with said opening, meanson said support means axially movable to apply an external force to saidsealing member, detent means concentric about and releasably secured tosaid force applying means, said detent means cooperating with saidsealing member to maintain the same in sealing engagement with saidcontainer below a predetermined pressure in said container, and meanssecured to said sealing member and movable in response to a rise inpressure in said container above said predetermined pressure todisengage and release said detent means whereby said force applyingmeans and sealing member are unitarily moved out of sealing engagementwith said container.

JCSEPH RICHTER.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,273,347 Ferris July 23, 1918 1,821,726 Saporta Sept. 1, 19312,297,003 Larson Sept. 29, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date474,095 Germany Mar. 26, 1929

